45 ACP - Turn On The Night

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  • French producer Dang-Khoa Chau might be best known for his work with Paris label Antinote, where he's released two quality house records as D.K. But Chau has an equally notable alias called 45 ACP, which he uses for more straightforward club fare. His debut album under that name, Change Of Tone, arrived via L.I.E.S. back in May, and was a solid collection of loose, hardware-built dance tunes with pep in their step. Turn On The Night follows the LP with three tracks for Ron Morelli's Russian Torrent Versions sub-label, but Chau has taken an especially direct and pared-down tact here, which isn't always the best fit for his arrangements. As mentioned by Carlos Hawthorn in his review of Love On Delivery, D.K. was most captivating "when the Parisian deviated from the four-to-the-floor framework," and it rings true of Turn On The Night, too. Nothing about Chau's record is bad by any means—it's more that he has a tendency to muddle good ideas within unexciting structures. The title track is the standout here, mostly because its deep, percussive groove is built on bouncy rhythms that feel vital and dynamic. The whorl of dreamy pads in the background perfectly contrasts raw drum machines and bulbous low-end. "Missing Watch" and "FMJ" don't find such a good balance, and come off a bit flat as a result. A big bassline gives the A1 some funky swagger despite its rote drum programming and messy set of synths, while the A2 can't move past its two dour chords alternating ad nauseam beneath an otherwise lively beat. Nothing they do is offensive, but there's little to keep either interesting for their full five-plus minutes.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Missing Watch A2 FJM B1 Turn On The Night
RA